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Constitution of Prussia
The Constitution of Prussia is the document containing the supreme law under which the Government of Prussia operates. It also includes the relationship of governance between the Federal government and that of the provinces. Over it's history, the Kingdom of Prussia has had 3 major documents which could be considered a constitution. The first, which most historians consider a treaty that developed into a Constitution, happened with the founding of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1248. The current form of the Constitution was drafted in 1652 and then became law in 1653. Officially it started partially being enforced on 04 March 1652 to prepare for the first election happening in 1652. With the opening of the House of Commons on 05 May 1653, the document achieved royal assent. History 1248 With the founding of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1191 CE, the leaders at the time signed a treaty/document to solidify the agreement. This document is often referred to as the Kingdom of Prussia Unification Treaty Act, 1191. The treaty unified the Duchy of Schleswig with the more powerful electorate of Hanover. With an impending invasion from the Kievans, the Duke of Schleswig requested assistance from an ally, the Elector of Hanover. It was decided that a unification would best suit both parties. It wasn't until 1248 when the first King of Prussia was crowned. Up until 1248, the Duke of Schleswig's son and the daughter of the Elector had co-ruled as Emperor of the United Prussia. The Duke had died during a construction accident in 1245 and the Empress continued ruling until 1248, when her son had reached the age of 19 and could ascend to the throne. The document signed in 1191 was then resigned by the newly crowned king and his advisors, after some slight revisions, and enacted as the Prussia Constitution Act, 1248. 1468 1653 A government act passed in 1704 later changed the name to the Prussia Constitution Act, 1248, 1704(long name: An Act to rename the Kingdom of Prussia Unification Treaty Act, 1248 to the Prussian Constitution Act, 1706). Articles of the Constitution The most current draft of the Constitution was passed in 1853 Basic Law * Article 1) Basic Human Right The Constitution of Prussia is tasked with the protection of Human Rights and Dignity. This protection is within the duty of state authority and is inviolable. * Article 2) Freedoms Every citizen and person has the following freedoms of a fundamental nature **section a) The Freedom of conscience and religion **Section b) The Freedom of thought, belief opinion and expression, including freedom of the press **Section c) Freedom of peaceful assembly **Section d) Freedom of association * Article 3) Equity Federation The Overseas Collective The Role of the Crown * Article C1) The Monarch * Article C2) The King's Lieutenant General * Article C3) The King's Lieutenant * Article C4) The Role of the Crown The Executive * Article Y1) Composition * Article Y2) Election - Term of Office * Article Y3) Impeachment and Substitution * Article Y4) Cabinet The Legislative * Article X1) Elections **Section a) Elections for both houses of the government are to be held no later than 4 years after the last election or no later than 3.5 years after the last session of Parliament began. * Article X2) Electoral Term **Section a) Members of both houses of the government are limited to a four year term, though the number of terms that can be served is not limited. **Section b) The office of Chancellor is limited to two-four year consecutive terms. The Chancellor can also serve two unconsecutive four year terms. **Section c) The office of Vice Chancellor is not limited in the number of terms that can be served, though convention is to follow the term limit of the Chancellor. * Article X3) House of Commons The Parliament shall contain two houses of legislature, the lower house being called the House of Commons. The House of Commons shall consist of five-hundred and seventy-seven members. All members of the House shall be elected by general election. * Section a) Division/constituencies The five-hundred and seventy-seven Members are called Members of Parliament and they are elected from single-member constituencies. The Kingdom of Prussia consists of three geo-political regions, the Mainland, Prussian Africa and Prussian South America. * Article X4) Senate The Parliament shall contain two houses of legislature, the upper house being called the Senate. The Senate shall consist of one hundred and thirty members. The Senate members shall consist of elected and appointed members as well as Dukes and Earls. * Section a) Elected members Of the one hundred thirty Senators, sixty-eight of them are elected members. The sixty-eight senators come from each of Prussia's thirty-four states. Each state is permitted 2 Senators, the longest serving senator is called the Senior Senator, whereas the newest Senator is called the Junior. * Section b) Appointed members Of the remaining sixty-two Senators, thirty-four of them are called Appointed Senators. Each one of the thirty-four states gets an appointed senator, called so because they are appointed by the King's Lieutenant General. * Section c) Dukes and Earls The remaining twenty-eight Senators are members of the nobility, mainly Dukes and Earls. These members of the Nobility are appointed to the Senate directly by the Monarch and they serve at His Majesty's Pleasure. * Article X5) Vote of Confidence Finance Other Provisions The Judiciary * Article 5X1) Organization of the Courts * Article 5X2) The Supreme Court * Section a) The Chief Justice * Article 5X3) Federal Courts of Appeal * Article 5X4) Federal Trial Courts